Last year in the film festival I saw a movie about Edith Collier, a Wanganui artist of the 1920's who was a friend and fellow painter of Francis Hodgkins and Dorothy Kate Richmond.
What hit me hardest, and the saddest thing; was that once she returned from Europe and London where she explored and mastered her modernst style; she was faced with her community's parochial ideas and her appalled fathers' displeasure at her bold nudes. After an episode where he burnt her paintings, she stopped painting entirely.
It's not just that she stopped that saddened me, but that after she died, the family found a whole trunk of art suppiles she'd gone on collecting throughout her life.
Hopes and dreams embodied in canvas and tubes of paint.
I thought of that today, as I came back to the studio weighed down with the promise of brown paper bags filled with new paint and an arms full of canvasses, and I promised myself to put them to good use, whether or not the results turn out as I hope.
I've been playing with new colours all afternoon. Happy as a sandboy.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Monday, July 06, 2009
Flights of Fancy
An exhibition of new works by Rosalind Atkinson and Leilani Isara
Thistle Hall August 4th -11th
If you get a chance, pop in to Thistle hall and have a look at this show. Rosalind is a recent Massey graduate and her artwork and illustration is very delicate and assured.
If you get a chance, pop in to Thistle hall and have a look at this show. Rosalind is a recent Massey graduate and her artwork and illustration is very delicate and assured.
Sunday, July 05, 2009
The mystery of what's underneath
Under painting reminds me of all things 'under' - mysteriously necessary to give shape and structure, a tantalising glimpse of what's to come (or sometimes a big disappointment if viewed before the beguiling and descriptive top layers are added). Wearing only under painting a painting is colder, flatter and sadly lacking definition.
In order to be complete, you have to have it and so you plough on adding layers over the scrappy flimsy underpinnings that define your idea(l).
Today I got stuck at the under painting stage - incredibly frustrating and a little disappointing since tomorrow's Monday again.
If it was formed of clay, I'd return my work to the mass, throw it into a dark bucket and begin again. Instead, it'll stay on the easel, I'll come in tomorrow and squint with fresh eyes at what it is I'm struggling to express.
There's the soft red of the background for a start; traditionally a dominant colour, I've been forcing it to recede all day and wanting it to be a foil for the many whites... it isn't happy ! Then there's the skin tones, the motion blur that isn't and various stickiness experiments. Sigh.
I think today might be one of those days - full of creative learning and some momentum but no visible progress.
It's been nice to be in the studio nevertheless, and now that the light's finally slipped away I will too.
In order to be complete, you have to have it and so you plough on adding layers over the scrappy flimsy underpinnings that define your idea(l).
Today I got stuck at the under painting stage - incredibly frustrating and a little disappointing since tomorrow's Monday again.
If it was formed of clay, I'd return my work to the mass, throw it into a dark bucket and begin again. Instead, it'll stay on the easel, I'll come in tomorrow and squint with fresh eyes at what it is I'm struggling to express.
There's the soft red of the background for a start; traditionally a dominant colour, I've been forcing it to recede all day and wanting it to be a foil for the many whites... it isn't happy ! Then there's the skin tones, the motion blur that isn't and various stickiness experiments. Sigh.
I think today might be one of those days - full of creative learning and some momentum but no visible progress.
It's been nice to be in the studio nevertheless, and now that the light's finally slipped away I will too.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Stillpoint
Stillpoint 750 x 500mmHere's my painting from Sunday - I'm still deciding whether to reduce all the busyness from the background... at the moment I'm OK with it because I like the way the eye scans the painting for sense before it rests on the face of the dervish - which is so still.
I might go see Anna at the French Art Shop and talk to her about 'stickiness' mediums for my paint though, I'm not ready to relinquish the acrylics yet, but I wish I could push and blend the paint more before it dries so that some of my my marks are more blended. Sorry my photograph is so average - it is actually very rich like this though.
I might go see Anna at the French Art Shop and talk to her about 'stickiness' mediums for my paint though, I'm not ready to relinquish the acrylics yet, but I wish I could push and blend the paint more before it dries so that some of my my marks are more blended. Sorry my photograph is so average - it is actually very rich like this though.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Painting in the flow
"Only let the moving waters calm down, and the sun and moon will be reflected on the surface of your being." -Rumi
While on the subject of Sufi poets and rituals, this quote describes my day.
Painting stillness in the midst of movement is a lovely challenge.
A whole day at my easel is the best kind of nourishment you can have after a late Saturday and a broken night .
I spent the day painting in the flow today, (not just moments of it) and it raced by while I worked on oblivious. Now I feel as if I can face my week - my piled up jobs, patiently waiting clients and urgent tasks will go easier... I'll see if I can photograph my painting from today, but I'm not sure about the background just yet so it might be a work in progress still.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Spinning out of nothingness
Photo still from video footage by Marcel Baaijens (and the rest by me!)
Eastern music, haunting ancient Persian prayers, the wind of the whirling skirts as they pass and the stillness of the cloaked turners 'in their graves' ... the experience I had last night was both enchanting and haunting. I'm moved and inspired to paint.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Turn Turn Turn
On the day that Michael Jackson died I'm going to a Mukabeleh to watch whirling dervishes turn.
Sounds like a great first line of a novel doesn't it?
Through a nice turn of events (yes, I'll stop now) a small design job for a group of Wellington sufi's has enabled me to attend their ceremony with my sketch pad a camera and my friend Marcel with his video camera. I'm hoping I can come home with some imagery to draw from - dervish turning was on my mindmap a year or so ago, as a form of non verbal communication that I might investigate - in part because of the wonder at the movement.
I do like serendipity don't you? I'm looking forward to it and hopefully I'll have some images I can post here soon.
“We come spinning out of nothingness, scattering stars like dust” Rumi
Sounds like a great first line of a novel doesn't it?
Through a nice turn of events (yes, I'll stop now) a small design job for a group of Wellington sufi's has enabled me to attend their ceremony with my sketch pad a camera and my friend Marcel with his video camera. I'm hoping I can come home with some imagery to draw from - dervish turning was on my mindmap a year or so ago, as a form of non verbal communication that I might investigate - in part because of the wonder at the movement.
I do like serendipity don't you? I'm looking forward to it and hopefully I'll have some images I can post here soon.
“We come spinning out of nothingness, scattering stars like dust” Rumi
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Roughing out an idea
Well that's done it !
Yesterday I had a call from Red Gallery in Nelson because NZ House and Garden magazine are doing an editorial on the Nelson Arts Festival for their September issue and I needed to describe my coming show at Red in October for the editorial... Yikes! It's creeping up fast and I need tying down.
Think quickly, be decisive Adele !
...So yes, focusing on working up the little postcards, and thinking about the 'cartography of the body' as Ondaatje so beautifully puts it... I came up with a title for my upcoming show, and a theme which allows me to explore either the huge seam of the body markings (with all it's possible textures and oubliettes for the brain art) or if time turns against me, the little terrains.
And that's what I'll call it - Terrain
Here's my description.
The subjects of her paintings are imaginary maps, places evoked by emotional
journeys or travels and suggestive of postcards or fragments of abstract
cartography. Adele is interested in the maps we leave as indelible marks on
those we meet and the lasting impressions we take on and add to ourselves.
These smaller paintings are the first foray into a larger body of work to come and
though their scale is intimate, her characteristic mix of line and mark making is
still present.
That should do the trick I hope.
Yesterday I had a call from Red Gallery in Nelson because NZ House and Garden magazine are doing an editorial on the Nelson Arts Festival for their September issue and I needed to describe my coming show at Red in October for the editorial... Yikes! It's creeping up fast and I need tying down.
Think quickly, be decisive Adele !
...So yes, focusing on working up the little postcards, and thinking about the 'cartography of the body' as Ondaatje so beautifully puts it... I came up with a title for my upcoming show, and a theme which allows me to explore either the huge seam of the body markings (with all it's possible textures and oubliettes for the brain art) or if time turns against me, the little terrains.
And that's what I'll call it - Terrain
Here's my description.
The subjects of her paintings are imaginary maps, places evoked by emotional
journeys or travels and suggestive of postcards or fragments of abstract
cartography. Adele is interested in the maps we leave as indelible marks on
those we meet and the lasting impressions we take on and add to ourselves.
These smaller paintings are the first foray into a larger body of work to come and
though their scale is intimate, her characteristic mix of line and mark making is
still present.
That should do the trick I hope.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Small works
Crossings 305 x 405Another little painting by me, this one is more a map of an emotional terrain. It's from the Postcards series.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Gallery crawl anyone?
I picked up this little flyer recently for a show that's just opened at Solander and I can see I'm going to have to do a bit of a gallery crawl this weekend. These hand coloured prints by Manuel Lau look lovely and I want to see them for myself.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Loose and lush - permission to paint he said
V Bank (conversation) by Steven Hemmens
VIII Seven sisters (The Women of Jerusalem) by Steven HemmensThese paintings are by Steven Hemmens from his show Some Stations on the Way to the Cross and they're at Bowen Galleries for a few more days. This morning my mate Paul insisted I went to see them with him. He took my hand - 'close your eyes' he said - 'now open ! ' Permission to paint he said. And they are... I feel very moved. When a good friend says you need to get out of your head and paint from somewhere else - it gives you a jolt. Enough said - except see them if you can before they return to the UK with the artist because they are lovely.
What is it with these two schools of thought about making art and how can I find a middle ground from which to express freely?
Monday, May 18, 2009
Postcards
Wilds 305 x 405mmThink this one has kept the intent of the drawing without losing too much to the paint. I'm happy with it. Wonder if they'd scale up a bit bigger?
Thursday, May 14, 2009
The body as a map
Today I'm thinking about this quote by Michael Ondaatje from The English Patient:
'We die containing a richness of lovers and tribes, tastes we have swallowed, bodies we have plunged into and swum up as if rivers of wisdom, characters we have climbed into as if trees, fears we have hidden in as if caves...' 'I believe in such cartography ... to be marked by nature, not just to label ourselves on a map like the names of rich men and women on buildings. We are communal histories, communal books. We are not owned or monogamous in our taste and experience...'
And the idea that we are tangibly transformed through learning and through our experiences.
I've been scanning a book online, called Curriculum: Toward New Identities by William Pinar.
Although this book is essentially a collection of essays about learning and the curriculum, it contains some wonderful ideas and a number of the passages simply jumped off the page at me today.
The authors Dennis J Sumara and Brent Davis of the chapters entitled Unskinning curriculum and Marked bodies talk about the sense of self-identity being (I quote)
'not contained within the boundaries of one's skin, but instead, occurs more ambiguously and tentatively amid the interstices of various interacting and overlapping phenomena. What is considered individual and what is considered communal cannot be caught within fixed immutable categories, but unfold through the continual fusing of perceptions, understandings and interpretations. Any conscious sense of self is always an interpretation of lived, remembered and projected experiences.'
... they go on to talk about unskinning or removing recognisable markers - stripping back the boundaries we use to identify ourselves and simultaneous remarking of those boundaries.
It's a concept I'm drawn to - and the associated imagery is lovely.
I'm thinking of marked bodies, of intersections and shared spaces, shared marks or markers (like the cinnamon peelers wife perhaps, who lives with the persistence of presence - ah me everything's a circle... back there again. Maybe this time I'll have more success at expressing the idea), shed skins maybe, (how the dye on the dyers bodies in that passage from In the Skin of a Lion just dropped off in one coloured sheet under the warmth of the water, to puddle like a skin newly stepped out of at the dyers feet) ...of the concept of shared identity and souls and of layers of communally shared iconography and stories - that are somehow 'unidirectional'. The imagery is lovely, and there is much to play with you have to agree.
'she wore a small depression on her shoulder' ...
'We die containing a richness of lovers and tribes, tastes we have swallowed, bodies we have plunged into and swum up as if rivers of wisdom, characters we have climbed into as if trees, fears we have hidden in as if caves...' 'I believe in such cartography ... to be marked by nature, not just to label ourselves on a map like the names of rich men and women on buildings. We are communal histories, communal books. We are not owned or monogamous in our taste and experience...'
And the idea that we are tangibly transformed through learning and through our experiences.
I've been scanning a book online, called Curriculum: Toward New Identities by William Pinar.
Although this book is essentially a collection of essays about learning and the curriculum, it contains some wonderful ideas and a number of the passages simply jumped off the page at me today.
The authors Dennis J Sumara and Brent Davis of the chapters entitled Unskinning curriculum and Marked bodies talk about the sense of self-identity being (I quote)
'not contained within the boundaries of one's skin, but instead, occurs more ambiguously and tentatively amid the interstices of various interacting and overlapping phenomena. What is considered individual and what is considered communal cannot be caught within fixed immutable categories, but unfold through the continual fusing of perceptions, understandings and interpretations. Any conscious sense of self is always an interpretation of lived, remembered and projected experiences.'
... they go on to talk about unskinning or removing recognisable markers - stripping back the boundaries we use to identify ourselves and simultaneous remarking of those boundaries.
It's a concept I'm drawn to - and the associated imagery is lovely.
I'm thinking of marked bodies, of intersections and shared spaces, shared marks or markers (like the cinnamon peelers wife perhaps, who lives with the persistence of presence - ah me everything's a circle... back there again. Maybe this time I'll have more success at expressing the idea), shed skins maybe, (how the dye on the dyers bodies in that passage from In the Skin of a Lion just dropped off in one coloured sheet under the warmth of the water, to puddle like a skin newly stepped out of at the dyers feet) ...of the concept of shared identity and souls and of layers of communally shared iconography and stories - that are somehow 'unidirectional'. The imagery is lovely, and there is much to play with you have to agree.
'she wore a small depression on her shoulder' ...
Thursday, May 07, 2009
Publicity and the Princess again
Here's the pic from The Wellingtonian out today, by Lucy Mitchell.
It's me pretending to do sign language and smile...despite not knowing any sign (shame!) and feeling silly because I was faking it for the camera. What'd someone call me last year ? Hmmm.
The article mis-spells Sara's name and colours in outside the lines a tiny bit, but the publicity's great, so I let that go. Yes Adele - I let that go.
But Hey - what about last Night ?
The opening at deNada was a real blast last night!
It's such a cool store and a great location. The art looked amazing on red walls, and peacock walls...
Outside the store it was bucketing down with rain and unbelievably cold but inside it was red a nd cozy and stylie and packed with friendly people from all over the show ... and we had lots of fun.
There was great music provided by Nadas CD picks and flowing bubbles, speeches and heaps of gesticulating and grinning by both of us - get the picture? (not to mention the dress-ups)
I sold at least one piece of art (more news on that later, she says optimistically and half patiently) so it was successful on that level too. You know, I really think collaborating on a good idea is some of the best fun to be had, and when it works well it's way more than the sum of the parts. Today I've had texts from all sorts of friends who've dropped in to see it, or enjoyed last night and wanted to say a big thanks.
I have to thank Liz especially for her grand PR job - even popping out mid-show for an interview on Maori radio last night.
You can visit the picture of me again at deNada's blog if you like!
Today it's down to earth day again as I do my GST and hit the event planning job hard. You can read the online story here
Monday, May 04, 2009
International Newspaper Blackout Month just gone
The date by Austin Kleon.
Last month was International Newspaper Blackout Month on Austin Kleon's blogsite.He spent the month writing a poem a day with the help of a Sharpie and an insatiable imagination. I love the idea.
I know it's not April any longer and he's all finished with his 30 poems in 30 days - but go check them out. Such a simple idea - soooo cool.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Publicity and the princess
Well you open the door - and in it comes!
'The Wellingtonian' newspaper interviewed me today about the sign language drawings for the show which opens at deNada on wednesday night next week. They came up to the studio to photograph me with the art and I felt like a performing princess!
It's necessary I know, but it's cringe material and if I dwell on it too long, it's easy to feel like Linus. I wonder if that means I spend too much time her by myself?
The publicity's been taken out of my hands for this show - it's all due to Liz from deNada, and since I've been snowed under with a huge job, I'm happy to have it that way.
Looking forward to wednesday night - I know it'll be a gem.
'The Wellingtonian' newspaper interviewed me today about the sign language drawings for the show which opens at deNada on wednesday night next week. They came up to the studio to photograph me with the art and I felt like a performing princess!
It's necessary I know, but it's cringe material and if I dwell on it too long, it's easy to feel like Linus. I wonder if that means I spend too much time her by myself?
The publicity's been taken out of my hands for this show - it's all due to Liz from deNada, and since I've been snowed under with a huge job, I'm happy to have it that way.
Looking forward to wednesday night - I know it'll be a gem.
New blog
Today I made a new blog - and it looks like this...
It's high time I had somewhere to post up my work and the thinking that goes on around it. I know I said it flows and feeds the art - but for some reason I still want to have some separation. I need some place I can send prospective clients to where they can see the breadth of my work.
I'm hopeless at the building the website, a year in and all I managed to do is put up a deleted odd looking template page! And you know what? I don't really care!
But... I do know how to blog, so I think I'll be able to link to that and send clients there to view my current work.
Anyway, it's overdue, so I've done it today.
It's called 'Picture it so' and you can find it at http://pictureitso.blogspot.com/
Monday, April 06, 2009
Incentive
Nelson is a great place for thinking. I've just had a week of doing very little in the Autumn sun down there and it has been good for taking stock and motivating myself.
It must have something to do with gazing at all that slow moving tidal water and that yellow gold morning light...
I went to see Jay at Red Gallery and we looked at my work that she's holding in her stock room - quite a nice little collection by now - it was good to review it and reaquaint myself with last years efforts.
Best thing though, I talked her through the baby ideas I've been thinking a bit about and she liked them. We agreed that I'd develop them into a show for later in the year. Exhale!
I'm so excited to have the chance to work towards an end date (we're thinking tentatively about the week over the Nelson Arts Festival- how cool is that?)
So in between coordinating the Storylines Festival again, helping to organise Spinning Gold (the childrens writers and illustrators conference) to be held here in Welly in September, and reprising the sign language work in May ... I'll have something new to focus on. I'm glad - I bloody well need it!
I'm looking forward to making 3D work - to experimenting, and working a metaphor, and Suzanne from Konev Leather's keen to offer support wherever she can. I can see this might be a lot of fun.
It must have something to do with gazing at all that slow moving tidal water and that yellow gold morning light...
I went to see Jay at Red Gallery and we looked at my work that she's holding in her stock room - quite a nice little collection by now - it was good to review it and reaquaint myself with last years efforts.
Best thing though, I talked her through the baby ideas I've been thinking a bit about and she liked them. We agreed that I'd develop them into a show for later in the year. Exhale!
I'm so excited to have the chance to work towards an end date (we're thinking tentatively about the week over the Nelson Arts Festival- how cool is that?)
So in between coordinating the Storylines Festival again, helping to organise Spinning Gold (the childrens writers and illustrators conference) to be held here in Welly in September, and reprising the sign language work in May ... I'll have something new to focus on. I'm glad - I bloody well need it!
I'm looking forward to making 3D work - to experimenting, and working a metaphor, and Suzanne from Konev Leather's keen to offer support wherever she can. I can see this might be a lot of fun.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Love your experiments by Wordle
Ah watching paint dry.
Here's a Wordle mash up of one of Bruce Mau's quotes - Love your experiments. I'm thinking the alogarythm's done quite well with it ...
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Reprising a show
So when does reprising a show become a new show?
Do you call it by a new name - and if you do will all your friends expect to see something fabulous and new from you ?! (of course they will)
And will they feel duped when they realise it's a glorious opportunity to view the work they know and love all over again in a new swish location and setting?
I've booked the 6th of May to show the sign language and gesture pieces in Lambton Quarter - at deNada in Featherston St Wellington. Not a gallery but a lovely concept store run by a gutsy and savvy woman called Nada Piatek.
Between us we recognised an opportunity to work together, and I'm looking forward to the chance to have my art hanging in her store for six weeks. Six weeks!!
I've just GOT to paint some more...get those movies off my dratted laptop, pull finger, slap my hand into drawing mode, talk sternly and then dive into it. I want at least one new work in this show, and prefererably a big one. Just what I needed - a push in the right direction.
On another note - do you like the new banner ? I got sick of looking at the plain one !
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